The injury to Tyreek Hill was ugly. For the Miami Dolphins, they lost more than a wide receiver; they lost the loud verbal sideline cheerleader they had waited for Hill to become.
Miami will enter the dark waters that were represented by their rivalry uniforms on Monday night. An abyss of questions no one has an immediate answer to, but the situation that will play out in South Florida may not be all that bleak.
If there is one area of the Dolphins roster that could afford a significant loss, it is the receiver unit. Hill's loss for the season just opened the door for someone else to shine.
Dolphins WR room already has Tyreek Hill's replacement for Mike McDaniel
The Dolphins should be thrilled they don't need to head to the free agent market to look for help. With Gabe Davis, Grant Dubose, and Allen Robinson leading that market, Miami can take some solace in knowing that its wide receiver room is still one of the deepest in the league.
Out of the gate, Malik Washington should benefit from Hill's absence. While he is likely to remain inside, the Dolphins will need to focus on getting the ball to him as defenses adjust to the boundary receivers.
The Dolphins added Cedrick Wilson to the to roster on Tuesday. Wilson, a former member of the team was on the Saints practice squad.
Jaylen Waddle will, of course, step into the number one slot, but keep an eye on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the other side. The former Titans receiver can stretch the field and has been a touchdown machine at prior stops, including with Tennessee. With Hill out, it makes sense for Westbrook-Ikhine to see a big shift in his usage.
Dee Eskridge will also rotate into the offense more, but there is one player who might find himself active on game days in the future: Tahj Washington.
Washington had a quality training camp and looked good in the preseason. He is hard to bring down, and while not the fastest guy on the team, he has a shifty playing style that creates space after he catches the ball. Hill's injury could pave the way for him to get the opportunity to prove he can play at this level.
Overall, Miami doesn't need to jump into the free agent market to replace Hill because there is no one who can offer the speed that Hill has. The best options remain on the roster, and if those mentioned are not good enough, their practice squad has promising youngsters A.J. Henning and preseason favorite Theo Wease, Jr.